Yarn clamp



April 16, 1929. J B BOLTON 1,709,767

YARN CLAMP Filed Sept. 16, 1926 IN VEN TOR wmoem 4/ ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 1%, i929.

Unirsa srarss earns-r @FFHQE. I;

' JOHN B. BOLTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSEGNOB. TO SHAWMUT ENGI- NEERING COMPANY, 013 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A'CQEPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS.

YARN cramp.

Application filed. September 16, 1926. Serial No. 135,751.

This invention relates to the clamping of the ends of yarn elements wound on spools or beams in proper spaced relation to permit the threading of the difl'erent yarn elementsinto tube frames or other yarn-presenting elements used in weaving or in operations associated therewith, and is intended to provide a simple and reliable construction by which the danger, of the yarn elements becoming released and Lea 1,153,870, which hooks had to be sprung to one side to permit the cover or yarn-keeper to be applied to the comb and which then were supposed to spring back to place behind the cover to prevent its accidental withdrawal. In practice, however, it often happens that these hooks become sprung from correct position in alignment with the back of the 7 cover and thus allow the cover to drop off from the clamp in the handling or transportation of the yarn-spool with the resultthat the yarn elements become intermingled with one another so that, before they could bev threaded into the tube frame or other yarnpresentmg device for weaving, the ends must be carefully separated by hand and restored to their proper positions in the clamping comb.

To avoid such loss and trouble I have devised a construction of yarn-clamp that is not subject to this difliculty and which consists essentially in the combination of a transversely slotted comb and its teeth-embracing cover with retaining elements or latches which are held positively in correct locking alignment or position with relation to the applied cover, one of which is readily movable to releasing position to permit the removal of the cover.

These and other features of the invention will be particularly described in this specifica- Y clamp and the interlocking means by which the accidental removal ofthe cover from the comb is prevented.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of yarn-carry ing spool to which is'applied my improved form of yarn-clamp. t

Figure 3 is a front elevation or edgewise view of the yarn-clamp.

Figure 4 is a plan view thereof with the uppermost portions of the comb and of thecover being broken away to show more clearly the position of the locking latches or elements in correct locking position.

Figure 5 is a detail. view showingoneof the latches in open or releasing position to permit withdrawal of the comb.

, Figure 6 is a detail view through the clamp and one of the locking latches,

In the practice of the invention, according to the form, thereof illustrated in the drawings, the comb-bar l, is of usual construction being transversely slotted on its front side to form yarn-separating teeth 2for. separating the individual yarn elements a, andhav- .ing its rear edge at l reversely turned or folded upon itself to make a longitudinal stifl ening channel. 7

The cover 3 s preferably in the form; of a longitudinal trough of approximately U- shape cross section of suflicient depth and width to embrace theforward ends of the teeth2, when it is applied to the comb, The back or closed end of the trough, however, is

formed, near each end thereof, with a latchreceiving recess or notch 3 As usual, the cover is somewhat shorter than the comb-bar and at the ends of said cover are mounted cover-retaining members 4, 5. In this case, instead of riveting thesecover-retaining members to the comb, as has herotoforebeen done, one retaining member. is mounted upona pivot 45, carriedby the comb. Moreover, theforward end of the latch or retaining member is made in the form of a hook whose tip 4c is arranged toenter therecess 8* in the cover so as to projectsomewhat into said recess. lhe other memberfi may be riveted on the bar. 1 v

It will be seen that, by reason of thepenetration of the latch into the latch-receiving recess of the cover after the cover is a )plied toth'e comb, the latch is positively interlocked with the cover so that it is. prevented from being sprung laterally-out of locking alignment 's" thii a tip 7 Wittt cover. roles; er, tie reiease 1y stiff or rigid, thus further obviating the danger of b ing sprung o t f a ignmen The positive engagement between the latch and the recess of the cover also positively pre-.

vents accidental endwise displacement as will be explained later. i

To retain the latch in locking position, while permitting its release for withdrawal of the cover, I employ a suit-able actuating spring, in this case a torsional wire spring 6, preferably coiled around the pivot post l and having one end 6 hooked into a hole or notch in the latch, while the other end 6 thrusts against the back 1 of the comb. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the latch is preferably formed with a heel or projecting portion 4 to act as a stop arranged to abut against the back], of the comb to limit the rotative movement of the latch under the I pressure of its actuating spring. As the rotative movement in that direction is limited when the latch is in looking position it will be seen that the interlocking engagement of the latch with the recess in the cover positively prevents endwise displacement ofthe cover on the comb, for although the latch can be moved outwardly by endwise thrust of the cover in its direction, this involved an opposite or inward thrust simultanenously on the other latch and this is positively preventedby engagement of the heel of the other latch against the back of the comb even if the rivet 5* should be loose.

Furthermore the heel 4, by limiting the movement of the self-closing'latc'h, facilitates the easy application of the cover to the comb since it may hold the latch at a slight distance from the opposing teeth and thus allow the operative to insert oneend of the cover between the latch and the comb by an endwise movement so that only the other latch requires manipulation when applying the cover.

To secure precise alignment between the tip ofthe latch and the middle line of the back of the cover the tip may be slightly offset laterally from the main body oi the latch at any convenient point as at 4.

The clamp is attached to the spool in any convenient manner by means-of distensible attaching members 1O arranged to be looped over the journals 9 of the yarn-spool or otherwise. The outer corner of the latch may be turned up as at 4- to clear the spring-10 and also afford a hold for the leasing the latch.

In the drawings I have shown only one of the hooks or latches pivoted and springactuated since such a construction is obviously not necessary for both of them, as the corresponding end of the cover may be easily inserted so as to engage the fixed latch or finger when re-l hook 5 in its receiving recess in the cover, if such end be first inserted between the tip of latch 5 and the comb, before the other end of the cover is pushed over the comb. I Wha I laim i s I 1. A yarn clamp for a yarn spool embracing in its construction a longitudinal transversely slotted comb element, a trough-like cover having recesses in its end portions and adapted to embrace the ends of the comb teeth, covers-retaining members mounted on the comb adapted to interlockingly penetrate said recesses to prevent their lateral disalignment with the cover, one of them being releasably held in such interlocked relation by an engaging spring.

2. A yarn clamp for a yarn spool embracing in combination a longitudinal transversely slotted comb, a longitudinal cover provided at its opposite ends with recesses intermediate or its sides, retaining members mounted on the end portions of the comb in position to be interlockingly engaged in said recesses, one of said members being movable out of its receiving recess, and a spring for normally retaining said movable member in looking position in said receiving recess.

3. In a yarn-spacing and holding clamp, the combination of a transversely slotted yarn-receiving comb, a yarn-retaining cover adapted to be applied to the comb teeth to close the slots between them, cover-retaining members one of which is mounted to move in substantially the plane of the cover into position to hold it against removal, said retaining members being held positively against displacement from the plane of the cover when in locking position,

4, In a yarn clamp the combination of a transversely slotted comb for retaining the yarn elements in spaced relation,- a slot closing cover adapted to embrace the comb teeth and provided with latch-receiving recesses,

latches adapted to lock the cover against re' moval from the comb, said latches having interlock ng engagement w1th said recesses in the cover to maintain them against lateral disalignment with the cover, when in locking position.

' 5. In a yarn clamp the combination with a transversely slotted comb, and its cooperating cover, means for locking said cover releasably on the comb, said locking means having movement only in the plane of the cover to latches pivotally mounted on the ends of the comb to interlock with the cover when applied to the comb, and means for limiting the spring-actuated movement of the latches to prevent them from pressing against the teeth of the comb.

8. A yarn clamp for a yarn spool embracing in its construction a transversely slotted comb element, a trough-like cover adapted to embrace the ends of the comb teeth cover retaining means and cooperating anchoring means comprising mutually facing hooks attached respectively to the end portions of the comb to project inwardly into overlapping en 'agement with the respective ends of the cover, one of said hooks being movable outwardly beyond the adjacent end of the cover and means for normally maintaining the movable hook in its inward overlapped relation, to the cover.

In witness whereof, I have subscribed the above specification.

JOHN B. BOLTON; 

